Who’s afraid of twentieth
century music? Well, I would hope no one when
a programme consists of Prokofiev’s lyrical
Second Violin Concerto complete with intriguing
soloist, Stravinsky’s effervescent Petrushka
and John Foulds’ (admittedly an unknown quantity
for many) magnificently gargantuan Three
Mantras, a work that has the capacity
to make Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite
sound like a gentle stroll in the park on
a Sunday afternoon. Yet something kept the
audience away from this concert resulting
in a Symphony Hall that I would estimate was
barely more than a third full. Maybe everyone
was at home listening to the live Radio Three
broadcast on their digital radios?

Whatever the reason, it was
clear from the outset that nothing was going
to faze Oramo and his players who had the
bit between their teeth from the tumultuous,
cascading opening of the Foulds. The ongoing
CBSO season theme of "Classic Asia"
has already thrown up some adventurous programming
and Foulds figures once again in a couple
of weeks time when first performances of his
rediscovered Mirage and Lyra Celtica
appear alongside Till Eulenspiegel
and Also sprach zarathustra. The Three
Mantras are slightly more familiar fare,
having been performed at the Proms some years
ago as well as having been recorded for the
Lyrita label as part of an all Foulds disc
that is (remarkably for this label) still
available.

Foulds was a man of many
facets and at one time was better known for
his contributions to the fields of light music
and theatre than the world of "serious"
music. Indeed, many of his more ambitious
works were consigned to complete neglect during
his lifetime resulting in a good number not
seeing the light of day at all. It is Holst
that Foulds is inevitably compared to given
their mutual interest in the mystical and
the music of Asia. Yet unlike Holst, whose
studies concentrated on the culture and translation
of Sanskrit, Foulds made a close study of
Indian music itself, experimenting with quartertones
and using raga based elements within his compositions.

Once again, Sakari Oramo
showed himself to be a champion of English
repertoire and a conductor of huge physical
and interpretative energy. The opening ‘Mantra
of Action’, marked Impetuoso, possessed an
almost demonic heat, providing a huge workout
for the orchestra who clearly relished the
challenges of the music as much as Oramo in
playing of astounding athleticism and enthusiasm.
The long central ‘Mantra of Bliss’ is based
on a repeated raga that is gradually embellished
and ornamented but never deviates from its
initial rhythmic patterns. It is a mesmerising
creation; music that radiates an iridescent
sense of aura and eastern exoticism, played
by the CBSO with fine delicacy in a shimmering
haze of strings and winding woodwind solos.
The final ‘Mantra of Will’ initially has a
fleeting feeling of Arthur Bliss about it
before descending headlong into music of barbaric
violence. In much of this music the overriding
impression is of a composer years ahead of
his time, creating dense and at time highly
complex multi-layers of sound. To hear the
orchestra in the kind of form they showed
here is a thrilling experience and one that
deserves to draw a more substantial audience
for the forthcoming Foulds works at the end
of the month.

Akiko Suwanai has previously
worked with the CBSO on several occasions,
perhaps most notably in her recording of the
Sibelius and Walton Violin Concertos with
the orchestra, also under Oramo. She comes
with an impressive pedigree, youngest ever
winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990
and the (increasingly rare) distinction of
an exclusive recording contract with Universal
since 1996, for whom she has steadily produced
one recording a year since. On this occasion
her elegant, yet slight, even waif-like figure
was accentuated by a striking red dress that
showed her in stark relief against the evening
wear of the orchestra. I say this only because
her playing seemed in so many ways to match
the pristine quality of her physical appearance.
From her opening entry in the Prokofiev I
was conscious of her impressively accurate
articulation, assured technique and sweet,
pure tone. It is worth mentioning here that
her violin, the Stradivarius "Dolphin"
of 1714 was formerly owned by Jascha Heifitz.
Yet for all these qualities I found myself
willing her to be more adventurous and extrovert
in her approach to the work, more dynamic
and less mannered in her interpretation. There
were certainly moments in the central Andante
assai where she allowed herself to sing eloquently
but the outer movements, particularly the
finale, where Prokofiev comes closest to a
conventional cadenza, would have benefited
from a somewhat more outward, caution to the
wind interpretation. Oramo certainly did his
best to drive things forward but the overall
result simply felt too refined for Prokofiev,
even with the composer in lyrical mode.

In contrast, the performance
of Petrushka that occupied the second
half sparkled from the very opening bars.
The attention to balance and instrumental
detail that Oramo drew from Stravinsky’s ever
colourful 1947 version of the score was outstanding,
yet this was never allowed to impact on the
urgency and momentum of the performance which
was edge of the seat stuff from start to finish.
The ‘Shrovetide Fair’ bustled with activity,
Oramo ensuring that no pace was lost as the
trumpets led into the first big tutti. No
chances had been taken with the demanding
piano part, with Leon McCawley having been
brought in for the occasion. He clearly enjoyed
himself and received a deserved ovation at
the conclusion although it is fair to say
that there were outstanding individual contributions
from several quarters, notably solo trumpet
and all of the principal winds with just one
slightly frustrating observation. The recent
resignation of leader Peter Thomas to concentrate
on chamber commitments has meant that the
orchestra are currently using a number of
guest leaders. Thomas’s apparently understated
yet quietly authoritative leadership of the
orchestra has been one of the strengths of
the CBSO for a number of years. Consequently,
guest leader Alexander Janiczek’s antics of
diving around whilst digging out every note
flamboyantly with his bow seemed particularly
unnecessary. Little matter. This was a Petrushka
that generated an all too rare electricity
and reminded me of the similarly magical performance
of The Firebird by Oramo and the orchestra
a couple of seasons ago. On the evidence of
these two performances alone Oramo has as
much to say on Stravinsky as he does on the
less familiar fare of the shamefully underrated
Foulds.

A
remarkable disc, and an essential introduction
to a composer whose music cries out for greater
recognition … For the Mantras alone, this
disc deserves the highest recommendation possible.
… see Full
Review